CONWAY, Ark. - The Creighton softball team knocked off Ball
State 7-1 before dropping a 13-2 contest in five innings to host Central
Arkansas on the opening day of the Bears' UCA Invitational Friday.

Senior Amy Baker led Creighton (3-4) with a 4-for-6 day at the plate that
included a pair of home runs and double that led to a team-high four RBI. Junior
Blair Lowe and freshman Kelsey Allender joined Baker as the only other Bluejays
to notch a hit in each game. Lowe recorded two hits while Allender connected on
three.

After three scoreless innings, Creighton started the scoring with a two-out
rally to plate three runs in the top of the fourth and jump out to a 3-0 lead.

CU senior Ashley Frutos and sophomore Liz Dike hit back-to-back singles
before junior Ellen Homan reached first on a Cardinal error. Frutos would score
on the throw to make it 1-0. Lowe singled in Dike and Homan to put the Jays
ahead by three.

Ball State got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run
from Jenny Gilbert to cut into the CU lead at 3-1.

Creighton added four runs in the top of the seventh. Junior pinch hitter
MaKenzie Michael hit a leadoff single before Baker ignited a rally with a
two-run bomb over the left field fence to make the score 5-1 Creighton.
Sophomore Bri Lingl reached on an error and scored on a two-out single off the
bat of Allender to put CU up 6-1. After a walk by freshman Blake Ringle, Dike
batted in Allender to yield the final score.

Changstrom posted eight strikeouts to earn the complete-game win and move to
2-2 on the season. Ball State fell to 3-2 on the year after the loss.

Junior Brittany Telecky started game two in the circle for Creighton against
Central Arkansas' Kelsie Armstrong.

UCA sparked a two-out rally in the bottom of the first inning to take a 4-0
lead after one. The Bears hit back-to-back doubles, earned a walk and notched a
home run before the Bluejays got out of the inning.

Baker continued her strong day in the top of the third after an RBI double
scored Lowe from first base to cut into the UCA advantage, 4-1.

The Bears responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame aided by
two Creighton errors to make put UCA up 6-1 after three.

Central Arkansas added seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning before
Baker cranked a solo home run for the Bluejays in the top of the fifth to
settle the final score.

Armstrong halted the Bluejay bats with 13 strikeouts over five innings to
improve to 4-4. Telecky took the loss to drop to 1-1 on the year.

Creighton plays a single game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on day two of the
Central Arkansas Tournament on Saturday with an 11 a.m. scheduled start.